Review: In a Nutshell by Cindy Dorminy

In a Nutshell

by Cindy Dorminy

Publisher: Red Adept Publishing

Pages: 215

Format: eARC

Buy the Book: Amazon

Goodreads:  Mitchell Sorrow wallows in a major funk after his decades-long crush leaves town for good. Intent on powering through, he throws himself into his work as an EMT at Smithville Regional Hospital. He’ll steer clear of women, especially those who love their careers more than people.

Jackie Myers, chief development officer at a hospital association, is determined to climb the corporate ladder. The best way to do that is to show upper management she’s capable of making tough decisions, such as closing a fledgling rural hospital. When she’s assigned to visit Smithville under the guise of writing an article about small-town life, she’ll easily assess how dire the hospital situation really is.

After suffering an allergic reaction at the fall festival, Jackie blabs the true reason for her visit. Desperate to save the hospital, Mitch agrees to a deal. In exchange for keeping her secret, he gets one week to convince her the hospital is essential. But the more time they spend together, the more complicated things become. Mitch begins to open his heart, and Jackie’s decision becomes nearly impossible. He may never forgive her, and she’ll lose the only guy who can take her breath away – no Epi pen required.

Kritters Thoughts:  Book three in a series where each book focuses on a different character, so I have read book one, missed book two and it was easy for me to get into this story and dive head in.  

Mitchell Sorrow is an EMT in small town in Georgia and other than a lack of a love life, he has enjoyed life in a small town.  He loves taking care of his neighbors in their time of need and has focused on that instead of his love life.  In walks, Jackie Myers who is an executive for a hospital association and throughout her career has evaluated hospitals on their numbers and while the numbers in this small town aren't great, she is shown that hospitals are more than numbers, but are about patients who depend on them at their weakest moment.  

This was one of those romance books where the characters start out enemies and then become lovers, but for me it worked.  They weren't horribly mean on page one and it was easy for me to watch them grow from hate to like to love and while the book was short, it didn't feel too much like instalove and I think this is all due to the traumatic event that flipped the switch and it completely and utterly worked for me.  

After reading and loving Jackie and Mitchell's story, I am drawn to read book two in this series and find out what I missed because I just loved the arc of these characters.

Rating: definitely a good read, but can't read two in a row

Ebook 2021 Challenge: 78 out of 100

Disclosure of Material Connection:  I received one copy of this book free of charge from the author.  I was not required to write a positive review in exchange for receipt of the book; rather, the opinions expressed in this review are my own.

Review: The Personal Librarian by Marie Benedict and Victoria Christopher Murray

The Personal Librarian

by Marie Benedict and Victoria Christopher Murray

Publisher: Berkley

Pages: 352

Format: eARC

Buy the Book: Amazon

Goodreads:  In her twenties, Belle da Costa Greene is hired by J. P. Morgan to curate a collection of rare manuscripts, books, and artwork for his newly built Pierpont Morgan Library. Belle becomes a fixture on the New York society scene and one of the most powerful people in the art and book world, known for her impeccable taste and shrewd negotiating for critical works as she helps build a world-class collection.

But Belle has a secret, one she must protect at all costs. She was born not Belle da Costa Greene but Belle Marion Greener. She is the daughter of Richard Greener, the first Black graduate of Harvard and a well-known advocate for equality. Belle's complexion isn't dark because of her alleged Portuguese heritage that lets her pass as white--her complexion is dark because she is African American.

Kritters Thoughts:  Belle da Costa Greene is many things, a librarian, a daughter, and a colored woman.  With a father who is the first black man to graduate from Harvard, but a mother who has a different heritage that has given her and her siblings a lighter skin tone, they decided to start passing as white to allow for more opportunities that could come their way at this moment in time.  Belle is hired to be JP Morgan's librarian for his current personal collection and to build it to be the premier collection.  

I loved reading Belle's story and even more so when I did a quick google search and realized that she is a fully historically accurate human.  To wonder throughout the book where fact and fiction met was so fun and I appreciated how her story was written so we saw both her intense work life and equally intense home life.  The level of anxiety that Belle dealt with each day with her large secret was shared so well and I could only imagine when anyone lives with a secret that they feel they need to hide how much that affects your everyday life.  

Being a book nerd who has always wondered about the world of libraries both personal and public, seeing Belle acquire art and books was the most fun.  I have often wondered if I should have made a career change as book management has always seemed fun, but have decided that it is a fun hobby, but maybe not the career for me!  I loved reading how Belle was entering a man's world and using her strengths to get what she wanted done and interesting to think that now it is known as a feminine career and I would love to read a book about the history of the profession of librarian.   

Marie Benedict has quickly become one of my all time favorite historical fiction authors who focuses on women that are true in history, but maybe didn't make it to the history books and shines a light on their stories as a part of the story that we should all know.  

Rating: absolutely loved it and want a sequel

Ebook 2021 Challenge: 77 out of 100

Disclosure of Material Connection:  I received one copy of this book free of charge from Berkley.  I was not required to write a positive review in exchange for receipt of the book; rather, the opinions expressed in this review are my own.

It's Monday, What are you Reading?

Not a ton of reading time, but a busy fun week.

A meme hosted by Kathryn at The Book Date. 

Finished this past week:

In a Nutshell by Cindy Dorminy

How Much Wine Will Fix My Broken Heart by Kristen Bailey

Currently Reading:

The Summer Sisters by Sara Richardson 

Next on the TBR pile:

Lost and Found Family by Jennifer Ryan

Review: Lady Sunshine by Amy Mason Doan

Lady Sunshine

by Amy Mason Doan

Publisher: Graydon House

Pages: 368

Format: eARC

Buy the Book: Amazon

Goodreads:  For Jackie Pierce, everything changed the summer of 1979, when she spent three months of infinite freedom at her bohemian uncle’s sprawling estate on the California coast. As musicians, artists, and free spirits gathered at The Sandcastle for the season in pursuit of inspiration and communal living, Jackie and her cousin Willa fell into a fast friendship, testing their limits along the rocky beach and in the wild woods... until the summer abruptly ended in tragedy, and Willa silently slipped away into the night.

Twenty years later, Jackie unexpectedly inherits The Sandcastle and returns to the iconic estate for a short visit to ready it for sale. But she reluctantly extends her stay when she learns that, before her death, her estranged aunt had promised an up-and-coming producer he could record a tribute album to her late uncle at the property’s studio. As her musical guests bring the place to life again with their sun-drenched beach days and late-night bonfires, Jackie begins to notice startling parallels to that summer long ago. And when a piece of the past resurfaces and sparks new questions about Willa’s disappearance, Jackie must discover if the dark secret she’s kept ever since is even the truth at all.

Kritters Thoughts:  Dancing on the cusp of historical fiction, this book has two timelines.  One takes place in 1979 as Jackie's uncle is dealing with the feeling of a career that is over as his last album wasn't as successful as he believed it should be.  The other storyline is 1999 and Jackie's aunt has passed away and has left the estate to her to do with it what she pleases and she returns after a twenty year absence and relives that fateful summer that spent her life spinning.

First, I always love a dual timeline book where the reader gets to experience two moments in time.  I appreciate when the reader knows early on the connection between the two timelines, but the mystery is within one timeline or another!  In this case, Jackie in 1999 is visiting these places that meant so much and dealing with some emotions that she clearly tucked away for a long time.  

Both the characters and the setting were so vivid in this story.  I could picture the free spirited folks of 1979 and I could feel the lives they were trying to live that was rubbing against the norm.  The estate itself and the land and its characteristics was a character all of its own.  From the free swing to the waterfall, I loved every moment where a character described the different spots on this land and it made me want to travel to California to see if I could find it!

I only have one backlist book by Amy Mason Doan that I need to read and with summer in the title, I may just have to pick it up this summer and complete her novels.    

Rating: definitely a good read, but can't read two in a row

Ebook 2021 Challenge: 76 out of 100

Disclosure of Material Connection:  I received one copy of this book free of charge from HarperCollins.  I was not required to write a positive review in exchange for receipt of the book; rather, the opinions expressed in this review are my own.

Review: What a Dog Knows by Susan Wilson

What a Dog Knows

by Susan Wilson

Publisher: St Martin's Press

Pages: 368

Format: eARC

Buy the Book: Amazon

Goodreads:  Ruby Heartwood has always lived a life on the move. As a traveling psychic, she makes her living working at carnivals and festivals and circuses around New England. It's a life Ruby has made peace with--settling in one place has never been for her. She needs no one, and no one needs her.

Until one night, when she is camped by the side of the road in her trusty Volkswagon Westie van, a fierce thunder and lightning storm erupts. In the middle of the downpour, she hears a distinct voice telling her to let me in. In jumps a little black and white dog, and to Ruby's astonishment, she can hear the dog's thoughts. Has she been struck by lightning? Did the storm do this? Is she losing her mind?

It turns out, Ruby can hear many dogs' thoughts. She decides to set up semi-permanent residency in the town of Harmony Farms, until she can sort out what is going on, and who the little dog, Hitch, belongs to. But some people in Harmony Farms don't want her there. And it seems that events keep preventing Ruby from leaving. What secrets is this town keeping? Why was she meant to find this dog? And what has Ruby really been running from, all these years?

Kritters Thoughts:  Ruby Heartwood is a gypsy in that she doesn't lay down roots anywhere and prides herself in her ability to move from place to place with ease until one small town gets into her system and a dog finds her and needs her.  Ruby has that ability to see into people's future, but a new skill comes her way when the dog comes into her life and she can communicate with animals and tell their owners what they need and want.  

While I don't tend to love the art of psychics and mediums, I did love reading as Ruby communicated with the animals and helping their owners know what the animals wanted and needed.  I may have talked to my dogs a little differently both while and after reading this book!  

I loved reading about Ruby's pursuit for the details of her past and trying to find out really where she came from beyond the convent where she was surrendered.  Watching this part of the book unfold was so entertaining and I enjoyed Ruby and her sleuthing as she gathered clues and got some answers.  The one part of the plot that made me shake my head or roll my eyes was the continual things that kept Ruby in the small town, some seemed ridiculous and I wish she had come to her senses earlier in the book and admitted that she was finding joy in staying.  

This was my first Susan Wilson read and while I have coveted her covers with all the dogs for a long time, I was ready to try her out and experience her writing and characters.  I am hopeful to read more of her books with these great dogs on the cover and finding out how she incorporates the dog into each book.

Rating: definitely a good read, but can't read two in a row

Ebook 2021 Challenge: 75 out of 100

Disclosure of Material Connection:  I received one copy of this book free of charge from St Martin's Press.  I was not required to write a positive review in exchange for receipt of the book; rather, the opinions expressed in this review are my own.

It's Monday, What are you Reading?

A lot of reading thanks to a quiet weekend!

A meme hosted by Kathryn at The Book Date. 

Finished this past week:

The Somerset Girls by Lori Foster

Revival Season by Monica West

The Summer of No Attachments by Lori Foster

What a Dog Knows by Susan Wilson

Lady Sunshine by Amy Mason Doan

Currently Reading:

The Personal Librarian by Marie Benedict and Victoria Christopher Murray

Next on the TBR pile:

How Much Wine Will Fix My Broken Heart? by Kristen Bailey

Review: The Summer of No Attachments by Lori Foster

The Summer of No Attachments

by Lori Foster

Publisher: HQN

Pages: 336

Format: eARC

Buy the Book: Amazon

Goodreads:  Summer flings with no strings mean nobody gets hurt.

At least, that was the plan…

After putting the brakes on her dead-end relationship, local veterinarian Ivey Anders is ready to soak up this summer on her own terms. The way she sees it, no dating means no disappointment. Why complicate life with anything long-term? But when she meets Corbin Meyer—and his troubled young son, Justin—Ivey’s no-strings strategy threatens to unravel before she can put it into practice.

Trust doesn’t come easy for Ivey’s best friend, Hope Mage, a veterinary-clinic assistant who’s affected by an incident that’s colored every relationship she’s had. Though Hope’s happy for Ivey, she can’t quite open her own heart to the possibility of love. Not just yet… Maybe not ever. Soon, however, she’s faced with a dilemma—Corbin’s older brother, Lang. He’s charming, he’s kind…and he may just be the reason Hope needs to finally tear down her walls.

And as the sweet summer months unspool, the two friends discover love won’t give up on them so easily.

Kritters Thoughts:  The second in a series and like most romance series, you don't have to start at book one as each book centers around different characters.  Book one focused on a set of sisters who run an animal rescue farm and this book focuses on the veterinarian who volunteers her time to the sisters when they have an animal who needs special attention and one of her techs who helps her in her office.  

While I completely fell in love with the women and their story unlike book two where the women felt flat.  I didn't love their romance journeys as they felt way too quick from the hello to the I am in love stage!  Because I enjoyed these two women, their stories kept me reading even through an eye roll or two as they met a set of brothers and were instantly falling in love.  

I loved that both women had back stories and were full fledged characters.  AND the brothers that they fell in love with were too.  This book had a fantastic set of characters, I wouldn't have minded a slower roll and more than one book that followed their journeys.  

It was fun to see the couples from book one make an appearance and honestly wouldn't have minded if they had had more in this book.  I wonder if there will be another book set in this Kentucky town with two more women to follow as they find love and happiness.  

Rating: enjoyable, but didn't leave me wanting more

Ebook 2021 Challenge: 74 out of 100

Disclosure of Material Connection:  I received one copy of this book free of charge from HarperCollins.  I was not required to write a positive review in exchange for receipt of the book; rather, the opinions expressed in this review are my own.

Review: The Somerset Girls by Lori Foster

The Somerset Girls

by Lori Foster

Publisher: HQN

Pages: 384

Format: eARC

Buy the Book: Amazon

Goodreads:  No one knows you quite like a sister…

Summer in Sunset, Kentucky, means long, hot days—and sometimes surprising new beginnings. Through it all, the ties of sisterhood will be there, guiding Autumn and Ember to the lives, and loves, they need…

When they’re running the animal-rescue farm they inherited from their grandparents, Autumn and Ember Somerset are perfectly in sync. At all other times, not so much. Dependable Autumn would rather curl up with a good book than paint the town red with Ember. After the disaster that was Autumn’s last relationship, it’s pure self-protection. But when her high school crush comes back to town with his adorable young daughter, igniting memories best left forgotten, there’s only one person Autumn can turn to…

Beneath Ember’s free-spirited facade is a layer of deep hurt. She’ll gladly nudge Autumn toward a second chance. But risk her own heart? Not likely. The closer Autumn gets to her own happily-ever-after, the more Ember wonders what she might be missing—and if it isn’t her time to be bold, too.

Kritters Thoughts:  A set of sisters are running an animal rescue farm while also both holding down full time jobs - Autumn and Ember.  While sharing a home and with their aging parents on the same land in their own home, they each have a lot on their plates.  The sisters are complete opposites when it comes to personality and their parents have driven that home their whole lives, so they feel stuck in the shoes they are supposed to fill and that spills into other areas of their lives.

The thing I enjoyed most about this book was that one of the romances was one of those rekindle romance where the couple is reuniting after years apart and they have some history, so it makes it feel less like instalove.  That happiness feeling bled into the other relationship that while there wasn't as much history, didn't feel too quick to get hot and heavy.  

There were definitely some sexy times in this one, but maybe its me, but they didn't feel too over the top or ill timed.  It was a little more open door than I typically like, but not as explicit as I have read before.  

One thing that I didn't love as much and made me hesitate about continuing into the next book was the characters in this book.  The sisters felt flat and because of the emphasis on their personalities it felt like the author kept pushing that narrative and it just didn't feel needed.  The continual reminder of the roles the sisters play just wasn't my kind of story.

I haven't read very many by Lori Foster and still want to continue to try her out and see if I can find a series that I fall in love with.  She is a romance author that I don't want to count out just yet!

Rating: enjoyable, but didn't leave me wanting more

Ebook 2021 Challenge: 72 out of 100

Disclosure of Material Connection:  I received one copy of this book free of charge from Netgalley.  I was not required to write a positive review in exchange for receipt of the book; rather, the opinions expressed in this review are my own.

Review: Revival Season by Monica West

Revival Season

by Monica West 

Publisher: Simon & Schuster

Pages: 304

Format: eARC

Buy the Book: Amazon

Goodreads:  Every summer, fifteen-year-old Miriam Horton and her family pack themselves tight in their old minivan and travel through small southern towns for revival season: the time when Miriam’s father—one of the South’s most famous preachers—holds massive healing services for people desperate to be cured of ailments and disease. This summer, the revival season doesn’t go as planned, and after one service in which Reverend Horton’s healing powers are tested like never before, Miriam witnesses a shocking act of violence that shakes her belief in her father—and in her faith.

When the Hortons return home, Miriam’s confusion only grows as she discovers she might have the power to heal—even though her father and the church have always made it clear that such power is denied to women. Over the course of the next year, Miriam must decide between her faith, her family, and her newfound power that might be able to save others, but, if discovered by her father, could destroy Miriam.

Kritters Thoughts:  A book that is an acquired taste with strong religious themes and if you don't already have an interest in the politics that happened behind the scenes in any denomination, then this book may miss the mark for you.  Miriam is a young woman who has traveled with her parents and her two siblings each summer as her dad is a revival pastor who is also a healer.  He travels with the family by car each summer in hopes of converting new believers and healing those who need it.  When one summer something goes wrong, it impacts both his summer revival plans and his home church in big ways.  

Part of the reason that this book kept my attention was my personal interest in religion and the sociology behind a group of people following the same set of rules for their life.  And at the same time that I was reading this book there were quite a few things going on with the Southern Baptist Convention and I was following that which made this book even more interesting as at the convention they were debating the ability for women to play leadership roles in the church.  And reading Miriam's father and his thoughts on women not having the ability to heal just really struck a chord with me.  My senior thesis in religious studies was about the role women play in church leadership (some odd years ago!) and its crazy to see in this book and in the current news that this a topic still up for debate.  

There were a few times where I felt as though I wasn't reading as closely and got a bit confused by details of the plot, but in the end, I think I got the moral of the story and really wonder what happened to these characters beyond the final page.  

Rating: definitely a good read, but can't read two in a row

Ebook 2021 Challenge: 73 out of 100

Disclosure of Material Connection:  I received one copy of this book free of charge from Simon and Schuster.  I was not required to write a positive review in exchange for receipt of the book; rather, the opinions expressed in this review are my own.

Review: The Child in the Photo by Kerry Wilkinson

The Child in the Photo

by Kerry Wilkinson

Publisher: Bookouture

Pages: 318

Format: eARC

Buy the Book: Amazon

Goodreads:  I stare at the newspaper article about a baby snatched from the back of a car thirty years ago, and wonder why someone would post it through my door. Looking closer, my blood freezes. The little girl in the photo has an unusual scar – just like mine. I’ve never met anyone with one like it. Is this stolen child… me?

Trembling with shock, I know I have to confront my mother. My parents got me through a horrific accident, helped me find a job I love teaching art, and even with buying my own house. But was it all built on lies?

She tells me the day I was born was the best day of her life, and I’m flooded with guilt for questioning her – but why do I catch her burning papers in the garden the next day?

Then I come home to find a woman sitting on my doorstep, covered in bruises and claiming she knows who abducted me. I don’t know if I can trust her – or if I’ll be the next to get hurt.

Because all the while, I’ve been hiding my own secret. Does whoever sent the article know what really happened the day of my accident? Desperate for the truth, I break into the house of my supposed kidnapper. Inside, I find a handwritten list of names. A shiver goes down my spine as I realise wasn’t the only child to be stolen.

Then I hear a key in the lock, and I know my life is in terrible danger…

Kritters Thoughts:  Hope comes home to a pile of mail like any other day, but this day there is a piece of mail that is slipped in among the rest and it is a newspaper clipping from many years prior about a missing girl and this missing girl has a unique birth defect, just like Hope, what could this mean?

I love a good twisty turny mystery, but this one felt unique as one of the big mysteries is solved half way through the book, but then from there takes some interesting turns.  I appreciated that the story was more than the discovery of her link to the missing girl and that the author took it to the next level.  

I am always vague when reviewing mysteries and will do so for this one, just to avoid spoiling the book.  With that, I thought the way that this book unfolded was entertaining and it ended up being a quick read, but within the large bookshelf of mysteries that I have read it was just ok.  There were a few moments where I felt like the main character made some decisions and moves that didn't feel right and honest to her and maybe even some things where I rolled an eye or two!

I would like to try more from this author to see if how I felt during this book was unique to this experience or common for his writing.  I would love to experience another one and see if the things I liked remained.    

Rating: enjoyable, but didn't leave me wanting more

Ebook 2021 Challenge: 71 out of 100

Disclosure of Material Connection:  I received one copy of this book free of charge from Bookouture.  I was not required to write a positive review in exchange for receipt of the book; rather, the opinions expressed in this review are my own.

Review: Message in the Sand by Hannah McKinnon

Message in the Sand

by Hannah McKinnon

Publisher: Atria

Pages: 352

Format: ARC

Buy the Book: Amazon

Goodreads:  Wendell Combs is as local as they come. Born and raised in the small town of Saybrook, Connecticut, his venture into the larger world was met with heartbreak. Now, middle-aged and a confirmed bachelor, he seeks solitude from his tour of duty as a soldier back in his hometown, working as head caretaker for wealthy Alan Lancaster’s forty-acre estate, White Pines, a place he has come to love for its beauty, peace, and quiet.

Alan’s eldest daughter, fifteen-year-old Julia, also loves White Pines, but for very different reasons. She and her little sister spend their days riding horses, swimming in the lake, and painting landscapes inspired by the property they adore. While her parents prepare to host their annual summer gala fundraiser, Julia’s eyes are set to the simpler joys of summer: she’s fallen in love with the boy-next-door and longs for their next encounter.

But as the last guests leave on that magical summer night, a tragedy no one could have predicted suddenly occurs, shaking the entire town to its core. Wendell and Julianow face an uncertain future. At the height of their grief, two very different women return to Saybrook: Ginny Foster, Wendell’s first love, who cannot stay away any longer, and Candace Lancaster, Julia’s estranged aunt who wants nothing to do with the town or the family estate she escaped decades earlier. Now, the only familiar things Julia has to cling to are Wendell and White Pines, but it looks like she’s about to lose both...

Kritters Thoughts:  A little mystery and a little women's fiction rolled into one book where a cast of characters takes turn to share the story from their own points of view.  The book starts with Wendell Combs who moved back to a small town in Connecticut after a stint with the National Guard that took him overseas and changed his life and now he is a caretaker on a property where he finds joy in taking care of the land and the animals for a living.  The eldest daughter of the property owner is fifteen-year-old Julia and she is dabbling with her first love when a tragic night changes everything for them and others.  

First, I am so thankful that in the synopsis the tragic event isn't spoiled, so I won't spoil it here, but man did I not see it coming and it is the catalyst for the entire novel, so I will try hard to talk about the book without divulging the big plot moment!  

Other than Wendell and Julia, there is a judge who also narrates a few chapters and I was so thankful the author provided her perspective as she gave color to a big piece of the plot and the ins and outs of family court.  Ginny Foster was another character who had a moment in the limelight and as Wendell's first love, she returns to this town for reasons of her own and she brought great romance and heart to the book.  And Candace Lancaster who I just can't share as it would spoil so many things, she was a great anthesis to a lot of things and although a possible villain, I think the author humanized her very well.    

I am a fan of Hannah McKinnon and love how she creates this great books with full characters and plots that are perfect reading for the summer, but honestly any time of the year!

Rating: absolutely loved it and want a sequel

Disclosure of Material Connection:  I received one copy of this book free of charge from Atria books.  I was not required to write a positive review in exchange for receipt of the book; rather, the opinions expressed in this review are my own.

Review: The Stepsisters by Susan Mallery

The Stepsisters

by Susan Mallery

Publisher: MIRA

Pages: 416

Format: eARC

Buy the Book: Amazon

Goodreads:  Once upon a time, when her dad married Sage’s mom, Daisy was thrilled to get a bright and shiny new sister. But Sage was beautiful and popular, everything Daisy was not, and she made sure Daisy knew it.

Sage didn’t have Daisy’s smarts—she had to go back a grade to enroll in the fancy rich-kid school. So she used her popularity as a weapon, putting Daisy down to elevate herself. After the divorce, the stepsisters’ rivalry continued until the final, improbable straw: Daisy married Sage’s first love, and Sage fled California.

Eighteen years, two kids and one troubled marriage later, Daisy never expects—or wants—to see Sage again. But when the little sister they have in common needs them both, they put aside their differences to care for Cassidy. As long-buried truths are revealed, no one is more surprised than they when friendship blossoms.

Their fragile truce is threatened by one careless act that could have devastating consequences. They could turn their backs on each other again…or they could learn to forgive once and for all and finally become true sisters of the heart.

Kritters Thoughts:  I will pick up a Susan Mallery stand alone before even looking at a synopsis and such was the case with this one and even though I don't love reading about troubled marriages, I was thankful that this book more focused on these three women with a troubled marriage on the side!

Daisy is the main character and she is the one with the marriage on the rocks as her husband Jordan abruptly announces he is leaving and isn't sure of their future.  She has two sisters, one is Sage and she has returned to Los Angeles after her third divorce and has no idea what is next for herself.  The other sister is Cassidy and after an accident she has returned to Los Angeles and with these sisters each going through something they may be able to reconnect and form close bonds while helping each other out with what they are going through.  

I love a good story about sisters and the ups and downs of that unique relationship.  Susan Mallery can write a woman who is so full and honest and I love how she shows women in moments that show real vulnerability and then growth.  In each of her books, especially the stand alones, I find a woman who I can relate to or who I would love to be one of my best friends!  I hope she continues to write these as they are perfect books to intersperse in my reading life.

Rating: definitely a good read, but can't read two in a row

Ebook 2021 Challenge: 70 out of 100

Disclosure of Material Connection:  I received one copy of this book free of charge from HarperCollins.  I was not required to write a positive review in exchange for receipt of the book; rather, the opinions expressed in this review are my own.

It's Monday, What are you Reading?

I have no clue how I finished all of these books this week!

A meme hosted by Kathryn at The Book Date. 

Finished this past week:

The Edelweiss Sisters by Kate Hewitt

The Beach House by Jenny Hale

The Stepsisters by Susan Mallery

The Child in the Photo by Kerry Wilkinson

Message in the Sand by Hannah McKinnon

Currently Reading:

The Somerset Girls by Lori Foster

Next on the TBR pile:

Revival Season by Monica West